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Tonglen is part of the ancient compassion practice tool box of Seven Points of Mind Training. In this meditation, you're guided in Tonglen for yourself, at every stage of being, from pre-birth, though life, death and afterlife. Follow the instructions as you hear them and learn in real time where you are self-compassionate and where it does not yet flow freely. The best results will come from following along without talking to yourself as we go. Just listen and do—it's very simple. And then notice the moment-by-moment experience. There are several guided Tonglen meditations on the Wisdom and Compassion podcast list. We'll post more this year. 

We can do Tonglen for someone who is dying if we are with them, or not. We can do Tonglen for people who have died at another time. whether we were there or not. Tonglen may be done for people we know, and complete strangers. Of course it can be done for animals, as well. 

These are indeed difficult times and not the first and not the last. As practitioners, we have to find balance in chaos, or at least enough steadiness and equanimity to move forward to awakening and to ease the suffering of the world. In the midst of everything--is everything. In the midst of the worst times of darkness are light and wholeness. We have the tools to do this together. 

The writer, Annie Dillard, in her book, The Writing Life, said “The life of sensation is the life of greed; it requires more and more. The life of the spirit requires less and less; time is ample and its passage sweet.” In this episode we explore the life of less and less, which as it turns out, is the life of more and more in the most delightful ways. 

As practitioners, what is inclusivity? What is integration? How are these principles and practices entwined with truth and dharma?

Tonglen is a profound yet accessible practice in Tibetan Buddhism—an act of taking in suffering and sending out goodness. In a traditional tonglen session which is done in stages, we begin with ourselves, and progress to a loved one, a neutral person, a difficult person, and finally, all beings. But many people have difficulty in the stage of tonglen for self, just as they do with self-compassion in everyday life.  In this episode, we break down the architecture of the segment of tonglen for self as we do the traditional sequence, lingering in detail in the stage of holding space for our own struggles without resistance or avoidance (among other things). Why do this? Because meeting our own suffering with openness and steady attention, rather than pushing it away allows us to learn more about suffering, our basic goodness, and compassion. Instead of getting stuck in cycles of self-judgment or repression, we take a direct and honest approach of being intimately present with this moment’s truth about ourselves and everything else.  This isn’t about self-indulgence or wallowing. It isn’t about spiritual bypassing. It’s about the radical honesty of saying: Yes, this is here. And yes, I can hold it with kindness. And so much more.  Lama Lekshe unpacks us in a guided meditation and answers a couple of questions. Experience for yourself the power of tonglen to transform the way you meet your own mind with intimacy, integration, and healing through non-conceptual presence and awareness.

This episode was originally published on April 28, 2020. Everything you need to awaken is right here, right now. It's your life. Will you live it? Dekeling, in Tibetan, means 'a place of happiness'.  Our offering is to support for your dharma practice & your life in an accessible, inclusive way. All are welcome. All are very welcome. https://www.dekeling.online/  The music for this episode is “Starlight” - by Podington Bear of Portland, Oregon - Thanks to composer Chad Crouch. Support Chad here. 

This simple meditation can help you calm and stay present in experience. No bells, no liturgy, just simple bare-bones mind on the breath meditation. 

In this classic Buddhist meditation, we use the experiential metaphor of sitting like a mountain to help accomplish stability, stillness, and groundedness in the midst of change, busyness, and all the 'weather' of life. 

In this episode Lama Lekshe talks about sage advice from other practitioners and her own journey to discover the possibility of resting...all the time. 

Using the metaphor of snowfall, experience absorbing the wellbeing that is always available, no matter the circumstances. Care for yourself and all beings as you share the experience with a larger group of beings in each stage of in the classic way of 'dissolving the barriers.' This not only sets the stage for cultivation of compassion for yourself, loved ones, strangers, people you find difficult and all beings—it also gives an experiential taste of non-duality. 

Challenging times can be the best times to practice. Suffering is compelling, so you might find that resting awareness on your experience is easier than when things are going well. This episode has a longish riff on how to find a teacher and how you know when you've met a true teacher. 

This is a brief guided meditation on the stages of dying or 'bardos.' In Buddhism, the term 'bardo' typically refers to the intermediate state between death and rebirth; though it can refer to any transition. The most well-known and elaborated upon teachings on the bardo come from texts like the Tibetan Book of the Dead (also known as the Bardo Thodol), which is a key text in the Nyingma tradition. The Bardo teachings often outline various stages or phases that the consciousness of a deceased person passes through, providing guidance on how to navigate these states and ultimately attain a favorable rebirth or liberation from the cycle of existence (samsara). The meditations on the Bardo are designed to help practitioners prepare for death, navigate the intermediate state, and possibly attain enlightenment. This particular meditation is quite short and has just a few such details on each stage. 

Why would I experiment of holding a view if I am not sure it's true? This experiment can cause you to learn something beyond your current knowing—through direct experience. No belief is required. Just hold a new view, and see how it impacts your thoughts, speech and actions. If you like the effects, continue holding the view. If not, you can always try it again later—or not! 

You know those rumors you heard about Tibetan Buddhism? Listen and see if they are true. Any time we adopt a custom, philosophy or tradition from another culture, we're bound to misinterpret a few things. This talk unravels a few of the veils of misunderstanding surrounding Tibetan Buddhism, shedding light on misconceptions that sometimes obscure its profound teachings.